Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 1090’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helleborus  plant named ‘COSEH 1090’, characterized by its upright and mounding plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; single red purple to greyed purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Helleborus hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘COSEH 1090’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Helleborus plant, botanically known as Helleborus hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘COSEH 1090’.

The new Helleborus plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to create new uniform Helleborus plants with unique and attractive plant habit, leaf and flower coloration and resistance to pests common to Helleborus plants.

The new Helleborus plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany in December, 2008 of an unnamed proprietary seedling selection of Helleborus niger, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed proprietary seedling selection of Helleborus hybrida, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Helleborus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Glandorf, Germany in January, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Helleborus plant by divisions in a controlled greenhouse environment in Glandorf, Germany since March, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Helleborus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Helleborus have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘COSEH 1090’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘COSEH 1090’ as a new and distinct Helleborus plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Single red purple to greyed purple-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Compared to plants of the parent selections, plants of the new Helleborus are more uniformly mounded and are more freely flowering.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to plants of Helleborus niger ‘COSEH 230’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,242. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Glandorf, Germany, plants of the new Helleborus differed primarily from plants of ‘COSEH 230’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Flowers of plants of the new Helleborus were single in form         whereas flowers of plants of ‘COSEH 230’ were semi-double in         form.     -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus and ‘COSEH 230’ differed in         flower color as plants of ‘COSEH 230’ had white-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Helleborus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Helleborus plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘COSEH 1090’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘COSEH 1090’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the autumn in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Glandorf, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Helleborus production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 3° C. to 18° C. Plants were 14 months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Helleborus hybrida ‘COSEH 1090’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Helleborus niger, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Helleborus hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two months at             temperatures about 12° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About six             months at temperatures ranging from 4° C. to 15° C.         -   Root description.—Thick to thin, fleshy; white to brown in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Sparse. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright and             mounding plant habit with flowers held just above the foliar             plane; plant shape is roughly globular; low vigor to             moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 21.9             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 29.8 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 36.3 cm. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves arranged in a basal rosette; leaves             palmately compound with seven or occasionally five leaflets             per leaf.         -   Leaf length.—About 14.4 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 16.9 cm.         -   Leaflet length.—About 9.6 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Leaf shape.—Palmate; orbicular to reniform in outline.         -   Leaflet shape.—Obovate to narrowly obovate.         -   Leaflet apex.—Acute.         -   Leaflet base.—Attenuate.         -   Leaflet margin.—Serrate; towards the base, entire.         -   Leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;             leathery.         -   Leaflet luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Slightly glossy.         -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to             137A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Between 138A and             147B. Fully developed leaves, upper surface: Darker than             between 139A and 147A; venation, close to 144A. Fully             developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 144B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 12.8 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm to             6 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape and habit.—Single rotate flowers arranged             singly or in groups of three; freely and uniform flowering             habit with about 13 flowers developing per plant; flowers             facing outwardly to moderately nodding.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten             months after planting; plants flower from autumn into winter             in Germany.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days; flowers not             persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 cm.             Shape: Ovate. Color: Between 145C and 150C strongly tinged             with close to 177A to 177B and 178A to 178B.         -   Flower diameter.—About 6.7 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 2.2 cm.         -   Petals.—Transformed into nectaries.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five, arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 3.7 cm. Width: About 3.3 cm. Shape:             Ovate to broadly ovate; slightly concave. Apex: Obtuse to             bluntly acute. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 71B;             towards the margins, between 64A and 71A. Fully opened,             upper surface: Between 183A and 187C. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 187B to 187C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 23.3 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm to             7 mm. Aspect: About 15° from vertical. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144A;             distally, slightly tinged with close to N186C.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 5.4 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Aspect: About 30° from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144A;             basally and distally tinged with close to N186C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 75.             Filament length: About 1.3 cm. Filament color: Close to             NN155D. Anther shape: Reniform; basifixed. Anther length:             About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 150D. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 4D. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: About six to eight. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm.             Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 155A.             Style length: About 1 cm. Style color: Close to 187C. Ovary             color: Close to 150B. Nectaries (transformed petals):             Quantity per flower: About 13. Length: About 1.3 cm.             Diameter: About 3 mm. Shape: Tubular, flattened. Color,             immature, inner and outer surfaces: Between 145B and 150B;             towards the base, close to 145A. Color, mature, inner and             outer surfaces: Close to 151B; towards the base, close to             146D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Helleborus. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and high     temperatures about 35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Helleborus have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Helleborus plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 1090’ as illustrated and described. 